Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

Presenter: Carol Roth, Central York School District, Instructional Technology Coach

Click here for Elementary

Secondary Focus

Visual Literacy

Definition - "...the ability to evaluate, apply, or create conceptual visual representations"
Visual Literacy: An E-Learning Tutorial on Visualization for Communication, Engineering and Business.
Retrieved April 7, 2008 from http://www.visual-literacy.org/index.html

Source: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

Project-Based Learning

Project Ideas:

(Remember, it's not about the product, it's all about the journey.)

Plan a Project

Science Example:

Natural Resources Project Example (Carol Roth - Central York)
- Identify real local resources
- Understand the resource in general
- Apply the knowledge to the local area
- Tours, interviews, experiments, volunteering, problem solving, living
- Promote the natural resource
  - Storyboard
  - Product
  - Presentation
- Celebrate the Successes!

History Example:

Teaching With Primary Sources
Create your own primary sources...

Story Corps
Veteran Interviews Example (Dayna Laur - Central York)
Veterans History Project
- The Library of Congress

English Example:

Collaboration with an art class. (Katie Anderson & Katlyn Wolfgang - Central York)
Project Website

Math Example:

Large Scale Ideas - Industrial Mathematics
Smaller Scale Possibilities - Flipped Class/Reverse Instruction

Other Subject Areas:

Cooking and World Language classes collaborate for cultural experiences
Art/Graphic Design classes team up with a local business to provide a service (i.e. company logo...)
Business classes run a real business right on campus (i.e. snacks, products from Tech Ed classes, etc.)

Planning Ideas:

Buck Institute Documents (will need to sign up but it is FREE and very useful)
Your first project? Check out this blog on a teachers first experiences.

Managing Grading in PBL: (So you've got this great idea but how on earth do you give grades for this!?!)

Checklist (rubric) Creator
Grid type rubric Creator

Contact Carol Roth with questions.

Three terms you heard today you did not know before

Two things you learned today you did not know before

One thing you will try in your classroom within the next two weeks

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making